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Feature: Chinese sailing boats retracing Maritime Silk Road visit Malta

Xinhua, August 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

"Thanks for you all!" Addressing a welcome ceremony on Thursday evening held at the Upper Barraka Gardens here, this is the prologue the renowned Chinese artist and sailor Zhai Mo chose to say to his Maltese and Chinese audiences.

An hour earlier, Zhai's expedition of two sailing boats -- the South East TV and the Feng Yuan Hong -- which are currently on a journey to "retrace the ancient Maritime Silk Road," was welcomed with a gun salute and a water salute by the Maltese government.

On behalf of the government, Malta's Ministry for Foreign Affairs' Helga Mizzi warmly welcomed Zhai's visit

"Malta has served and continues to serve as a strategic economic corridor that helps collaboration among countries. Malta is proud of this important economic road especially in view of Malta's geographic position in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea and as a gateway to Africa and Asia," Mizzi said.

Addressing the gathering, Chinese Ambassador to Malta Cai Jinbiao said: "Today's stop-over of the Chinese sailing vessels here in Valletta revives the memory and history of the ancient Maritime Silk Routes coming to the Mediterranean."

He elaborated that over 2,000 years ago, the ancient Silk Road was explored and opened by people of Eurasia. Since then, this road has contributed greatly to the prosperity and development of the countries along its routes both at sea and on land.

Riding the South East TV, which is 18 meters long, 4.7 meters wide and with a 23-meter mast, Zhai set off from China's southeast province of Fujian, sailing through the Indian Ocean, crossing Bab el-Mandeb Strait to the Red Sea and then Egypt's Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea.

After a 6-day-sailing on the Mediterranean Sea from last stop-over Alexandria, Egypt, the expedition has finally reached Malta, which Zhai delineated as the "happiest and most exciting stop-over during the past months."

"Once entered the Grand Harbor, I suddenly realized I was exactly in the heart of the mediterranean, consequently, my heart started to beat faster," said Zhai.

The quest to retrace the ancient Maritime Silk Road was launched in response to the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt, together with the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, which were proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013.

The initiative brings together countries in Asia, Europe and Africa via overland and maritime networks, with the purpose of boosting infrastructure, financial cooperation and cultural exchanges. Endit